Definition of stroke
Stroke is a condition that is associated with the malfunctioning of the human brain-a sudden death of cells within the brain (Mohr, 2011, p. 18). The major cause of stroke is failure of sufficient blood supply to the brain. Since blood supplies the brain with oxygen, it follows that the brain fails to get sufficient oxygen supply. This leads to the immediate death of all the brain cells that lack oxygen supply. Ultimately, this might end up causing paralysis, impairment of the speech and loss of the reasonability memory. In the extreme cases, it can lead to death.
Pathophysiology of stroke
There are two causative mechanisms of brain damage, which include hemorrhage and ischemia. Ischemia stroke is the most popular one involved in more than 80% of the stroke cases (Natan, 2009, p.298). In this case, lack of blood supply to the brain leads to the lack or rather absence of neuron substrates, which are very essential. Ischemia stroke is very severe and graduates very quickly since the brain lacks glucose, which supplies it with energy to carry out anaerobic metabolism. Hemorrhage stroke represents 15% of the brain stroke cases. The basic cause of this type of stroke is the pressure injury that results from the deep penetrating blood vessels. It causes damage to the brain tissues by distracting the linking ways.
Causes of stroke
One can derive the causes of stroke from the knowledge of the various types of stroke, which include cerebral thrombosis, cerebral embolism, intra-cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The impairment in supply of blood to the blood can happen under two conditions: clotting of blood within the brain or in some cases in the neck region. This leads to the development of two conditions-cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism. The intra-cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid strokes result from bursting of blood vessels in the region of the brain.
Cerebral thrombosis occurs when blood clots inside the brain an aspect that blocks the vessel involved thus blocking blood flow to the brain. Such clots are due to the hardened blood vessels and this occurs mostly in the morning hours or in the night. When blood clots within other parts of the circulatory system, the clot causes cerebral embolism (Warlow et al, 2008, p.269). This clot finally comes into an artery supplying the brain closing it, thus cutting down the blood supply into the brain. Hemorrhage also refers to bleeding. This occurs when a blood vessel in the brain raptures due to pressure or trauma. Vessels with weak walls are the most vulnerable to such a phenomenon. The difference between intra-cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage is that the first affects vessels inside the brain, while the latter affects arteries at the brain’s surface.
Complications of stroke
Depending on which part of brain is affected and the period over which the brain has lacked blood flow, stroke can cause both impermanent and permanent disabilities. The major complications may however include paralysis on one side of the body due to lack of blood flow to the brain. It may also include a difficulty in swallowing or talking due to difficulty in moving the mouth and throat muscles (Geyer, 2009, p.360). One may also fail to talk due to hardship in expressing thoughts in language. One can also lose memory or have difficulty in understanding. It may be hard for the victim to reason, make judgment, or even understand normal life concepts. In addition, pain is inevitable. One will have very strange sensations, or numbness in the affected parts of the body.
Nursing intervention
Nurses should ensure that the stroke patients do not make many movements or activities involving walking (Natan, 2009, p. 305). They should rest on a bed with bed pans all through. They should encourage consumption of liquids and help them stay calm. Such patients need olive oil bowel softener as well as moving their arms and legs together with gradual massages on them. All these should go along with thrombolytic therapy to dissolve the blood clots if the stroke is still within its first 3hours.
References
Geyer, J. D., & Gamilo, R. G. (2009). Stroke: A Practical Approach. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers.
Mohr, J. P. (2011). Stroke: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management Stroke, Pathophys, Diagnosis and Management. New York: Elsevier – Health Sciences Division.
Natan, M. (2009). Stroke: Practical Guide for Clinicians. Basel: Bornstein Karger Publishers.
Warlow, C. P. et al (2008). Stroke: Practical Management. London: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers.